Telemetering system



March 16 1948. w. A. DERR TELEMETERING SYSTEM Filed Oct. 31, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l n w 2, S w A A M m S j l g a 8 MS z e L. 1 .C 8 i M w v S a k S 7 3 6 m N tafiliw Q w v M m w .F 6 .8 w E M e 8 Kl; d M. E 0 AH W3 SP 6 e m MD N, M 1 IW WITNESSES: 547% P .1)

Patented Mar. 16, 1948 NlTED STATES PATENT oF-FicE 2,428,000 TELEMETERINGSfiESTEM Willard A. Derr,fwi lkinsbiirg, :Ba assignor to Westinghouse Electric corptratitngesst Iitts burgh, Pa, corporation or Pennsylvania Application October 31,- 1945, Serial No. 625,906

7'Claims, (01. 171-351) A My invention relates, generally, to signalling systems and it has reference, in particular, to telemetering systems which maybe used inconjunction with supervisory control systems.

Systems of remote metering or telemetering I which are in common use for transmitting metering indications over supervisory eontrol channels are generally of either the pick-up or drop-out type. Releaseof the system at the termination of a metering operation requires, in the first instance, the picking'upof a normally deenergized relay at the remote statiomand-in the second instance, the dropping outofanormally energized relay, which relays are not responsive to metering current. The drop-out type of system has limitations in thatitmust-be calibrated before-each reading, and variations 3111 the circuit impedance may even then affect the readings. The pick-up type of system, as heretoiore used, has been limitedin its application to the telemetering of alternating current-amperes and volts, since it could not-be used with many types of transmitters such ,as are used-for metering other quantities, for the reason that they present variable impedance paths, or even-open circuits under different operating conditions, and thus do not provide a uniform operating circuit for the reset relay.

Heretofore, it has beennecessaryto use both the pick-up and drop-out types of metering systems on the same supervisory control channel, where indications such as-those'of kilowatts, reactive kilovolt amperes, synchronism andmechanical quantities such'as water level, gate position, etc. were desired, in addition toindications of other alternating current amperes and volts. This use of both types of telemetering systems ,on a single channel naturally increases the cost-of the installation. It also unduly complicateswthe system from the service and'maintenance viewpoint, and presents a more potent source of trouble.

Generallystated, it isan object of my invention to provide a telemetering system for use-with supervisory control systems, which-shall he simple and inexpensive to manufacture andishall be universal in its application.

More specifically, it is an object of my invention to provide a telemetering system of a universal type which is unaffected by the variable-impedance characteristics-of difierent 'kinds of transmitters which may be used therewith.

It is also an object of my invention toiprovide,

in a telemetering systemgan operating circuit for a telemetering reset relay at a remote station,

'2 which is independent of the metering indication transmitting circuit connected-thereto.

Yet another- QbjeQt'O: my inventionis toprovide e-;. ubs ent el fix d im edanc ating cireui se -reset re a o the in -u p in elem t r n ystem- Anotherobjectpf my invention is to provide a universal telemetering system which may be read- -y use inqniu et e "w t s pe v control ystem A furthernbjectof ,rn-y-invention is to provide Q uti1i me-ine e emeterin s s m a .unidiree t nse -curr t device e rm i i e w m e ance operating ,circuittor areset relay in response .to a control potential 10f :reverse polarity relativ it e im t rine pot ntia Other objects will in part beobvious, and will in part be explained hereinafter.

ee e r inste cn iemhed m n o m i nt o the line relaysof asupervisory control system are diseenneet d-f em the si a n h n o e s t m wh n v ia me r n Point s se and the metering :transnritter and receiver are connected to the ehannel at the remote station and control station, respectively. ;A reset relay :ofth Wic -u t p i s at t e re t -tion to provide a holding circuit for the metering e a wh eb d seenri et e 'th u e m in t ensm e z rem th si nal in henn may b afieete th e ehae er t c he res t rela t .e. e th c ann :fe rform n u r i y .contljolfunctions. I'l;' e reset-relay is connected in series. circu-itrelation' with the-signallingchannel during the metering'operation andis unfie e -brthe relative l e e m e i eu rent. "Qperationot this relay iseifectedby shunting the channel by means 01a unidirectional cur- .rent device .so connected between the. reset relay and the telemetering transmitter as-to be sub-- :stantially non-conductive as regards the supervisory controland metering .11 ents, andyet provide a relatively -low impedance path for a reset currentpflreversepolarity. The reset potential applied .to theehannel is reversed in :response to loperation of ithe ireset abutton ,at the control :station' whenresetting.

Fora morecomplete understanding of the nature and: scope of; my invention, reference may be made to thesfollowing detailed description, which may she studied in :connection "with the :accompanying drawings, in which:

Eigure l isaa diagrammatic viewof the control station -zequipmentin -:a supervisory control and ,telemetering:jsystemvembodyingtheinvention in oneyof-itsli'orms: and

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the remote station equipment of the supervisory control and telemetering system for use in conjunction with the control station equipment of Fig. 1.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 together, a supervisory control and telemetering system is illustrated which constitutes an improvement over the system described in detailgin Patent No. 2,239,552 which issued on April 22, 1941, to Gennero De Croce and Willard A. Derr. In the present system, apparatus similar to the apparatus of the De Croce et al. patent is numbered identically with that shown in the De Croce et al.

patent, and additional apparatus is identified by reference numbers not appearing in said patent.

As shown, a coding device is located at the con- 4 with the coded impulses applied thereto. The circuit for the relay ID, for example, extends from one side of the source of direct current power .through the conductor 50, the code responsive dewce, conductor 52, the winding of relay H3, and

conductor 54 to the other side of the power source. A similar circuit for the relay I2 extends through conductor 56, the operating Winding of the relay I2, and conductor 54. Circuits for the relays I3 and I5 extend through conductors 51 and 59, respectively, to conductor 54. Holding circuits are provided for each of the relays through contact element 64 of the relay 20,

trol station of Fig. l for transmitting coded impulses over the line conductors A and B constituting the signalling change to the remote station of Fig. 2, from which indications of current, potential and other quantities are to be transmitted to the control station.

A code responsivedevice at the remote station selectively actuates one of a plurality of control relays I0, I2, I3 and I5, which function to connect different types of indication transmitting devices represented by the current transformer I4, the potential transformer I B, the impulse me terin transmitting device I1, and the current balance indication transmitting device I9, respectively, to the line conductors A and B.

The current transformer I4 and the potential transformer It may be connected to the line conduct-ors through a rectifier circuit I8, while the transmitting devices I! and I9 may be provided with sources of potential 2| and 23, for connection to the line conductors.

A code responsive device at the control station responds to the selective code impulses transmitted over the line conductors A and B by the coding device at the remote station to connect indicating devices such as the meters M and M to respond to the characteristics of the different signal potentials applied to the line conductors at the remote station.

As described in the De Croce et a1. patent, a line or reset relay 2!) is provided at the remote station for efiectingdisconnection of the different transmitting devices from the conductors A and B. The relay may be adjusted to respond only to a line current which is of a value higher than that of the signal or metering current transmitted to the control station from the remote station, so as to be unafiected by the metering current. A reset switch 22 may be provided at the control station for applying a reset potential to the conductors A and B for operating the line 'relay so as to effect disconnection of the transmitting device.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 in more detail, it will be seen that a supervisory control relay 24 is provided at the remote station for energization in response to signal impulses transmitted by the coding device at the control station. The

circuit for the relay 24 extends from the conductor A through conductor 26, operating winding of relay 24, conductor 28, contact element 33 of a relay 32, conductors 34 and 38, contact element 40 and conductor 42 to conductor B.

The code responsive device at the remote station may be any suitable type, examples of which are well known in the art, which is responsive to selective coded impulses transmitted by the relay 24 to selectively energize one of the associated control relays l0, l2, I3 and I5, in accordance so that operation of the relay 20 effectively deenergizes these control relays.

The operation of any one of the control relays ID, I2, I3 and 15 provides an operating circuit for the relay 32 which functions to disconnect the supervisory relay 24 from the channel and connect different ones of the indication transmitting devices I4, I6, I! and I9 and their sources of signal potential to the conductors A and B through contact elements 84 and 85.

As shown in Fig. 2, the different indication transmitting devices may have widely differing circuit characteristics. Both the current transformer I4 and potential transformer I6 are disposed to be connected to the line conductors A and B through a rectifier bridge circuit I8 whose impedance may be considered to be substantially constant for a iven value of current. The transmitting device Il may be of the impulse transmitting type, being for example, provided with a contact device Ila which may open and close so as to produce impulses either having a duration proportional to the quantity being metered, or having a frequency which is proportional to the quantity being metered. Under these conditions, the impedance of the path presented by the transmitting device I! to the conductors A and B may vary from a negative value when a potential is impressed on the conductors A and B from the source 2|, to infinity when the contact element I'Ia is in the open circuit position. Similarly, the impedance presented by the current balance type transmitting device I9 relative to the conductors A and B, may vary over a wide range, depending on the operating position of the contact arm I9a, which is disposed to be actuated by a motor I9b under the control of a Kelvin balance movement, to apply to the conductors a potential which'varies in magnitude with the quantity being metered.

In order to provide for positive operation of the line or reset relay 20, independently of the relatively wide range of impedance valueswhich may be presented by one or another of transmitting devices connected to the conductors A and B, a rectifier device BI may be connected in shunt circuit relation with the conductors A and B between the line relay 20 and the metering devices. The rectifier device 6| may be so connected as to provide a relatively high impedance path to the metering signal potentials impressed on the conductors A and B by the transmitting devices, and yet provide a substantially constant and relatively low impedance path for an operating current through the operating winding of the relay 20 in response to a reset potential of reverse polarity, which may be applied to the conductors A and B through the reset button 22 at the control station.

The code responsive device at the remote station may be operated in a manner well known in the art to selectively provide an operating circuit for any one. of the meterfhgrcontroltrelays I 8,. .I 2, I 31oz I If the relayz I lhzforrexamplais selected; thezrelayi32tis energizedrthroughithe circuit extending through contactrelementqfi of the relay III.: The supervisory controlnZtis thereby. dis-. connected from .the conductors A z-and 'B' through contact element .391: of -the@ relay. 32;; Thetrrelay I Ekalso functions tozcon-nect :the secondary wind:- ing of the current transformer :I4Ztoth'erectifier I 8 through contact element'='93.: so..that a potential; which is a function" otz-thefcurrentflowing in the conductor; is aappliedilto the rectifier and transmitted as a direct current-potentialtothe line conductors A vand :Bzithrough: I a circuit extending .from the I positive;.;terrninal of the rectifler Iiithrough conductor'i94;contact-element 99 and conductor I03 to'conductoriA, andirom the negative terminal. of thezrectifi'er through conductorQZ; contact element 'lllLflconductor I 55, contact element 85, contactielemen-t r 84, conductor 88; operating windingioftherelay ZiI-and conductor 85 to conductor B': Similar circuits are provided for the other-transmitting devices by the other control relays;

At the control station,. th'elsupervisory control relay I26Iis connected-itoibe energized by the code impulses transmitted by the remote station coding devicethrough acircuit which extends from the conductors Aand Bt through: conductor I23, contact element I 32': of the'meter relay I 33', contact'element; I32, and operating winding of the relay I ziitothevconductorr B; Actuation of the relay I26 causes closure of its contact element I38 to energize a code responsive:device'similar to that at the remote station; whichaccordingly results in selective energization: of oneofthe point relays MS, I48, I lfior1I5I;forexamplathe current meteringpoint relay I45;

In the operation of the system-,a holding ircuit is provided forthe relay ltd-through contact element I58 of the resetsWItch-ZL- Similar holding circuits are provided for the other metering point relays M8,. l49vand'l5l, which correspond to the transmitting devices It; I'I'and I9 respectiveiy. Actuation of any one of the relays I46 through I49 results in an energizing circuit for the meter. relay I33, through 1 contact'elements IIS, IE4 or I85, respectively: Upon-operation, the relay I33 opens contactelement I32; disconnectingthe supervisory control relay I2 from the conductors A and B; and closes its contact element I98 to connect themeter M- to the conductors A and B" for responseto signalpotentials produced by-the transformer I4 Operation of the metering point relay I5I'likewise provides an en r izing circuit for the meter relay I33 through contact element I81, and relay I33 connects themeter M to the conductors A and B, through contact element I9I forresponse to impulses produced by thecontactelement II'a.

In order to'disconnect anyone of the current metering indication transmitting circuits from the control channel and return the system to normal, the reset switch 22 is actuated to break the holding circuit for wliichever-one-of therelays I 46, I re, I i/Hand I5I Is'energized', thus deenergizing the corresponding meter relay-I33 or- I33, and reconnecting the supervisory control relay I25 to ie conductors A'and-B1 Actuation of the switch 22 also functions to so'con-nect the conductors A and B to the source ofdirect current power at the control station as to provide a reset potential which is of thereverse-polarity to the meteringindication potential applied thereto at the remote station; Thc'resetpot-ential is-also 3 of. sufiicient value toiprovideeaireset currentiforz operating the line orr'rcsetirelayfM -atItheeree mote station; The circuit :for the relay-2ll extends from one terminal of :the: sourcetat thecontrolu station through conductora I56;.throu gh conduc tor I 95, contact element I 58 conductor I 96? conductor B, conductor 86ioperatihg wind-ihgeot the reset relay 20, conductor -88; rectifier device fi l; conductor A, conductor 200} contact'elem'ent 'I 98; and conductor 1 52to the other side of-the source:-

A lowimpedance path is'providedby' th'e ree tifier. device 6 I sothat a relatively large -operating current flows through the operatingwinding of the reset-relay 20- for' releasingv-the system,- independently of" the impedance of .the signal or metering circuit which maybe conneeted"to"the conductors A and B: Operation of elay i fl opens the contact element 54 whiclflnterruptsjthe holde ing circuit ofthe metering 'controlrelays I Bf I 2*; I am IE, depending'on'which' one is op'eratedrj Upon returning to "the deenergizediposition; the meteringcontrol relay I0; etc. deen'ergizjesithe control relay 32," whichreconnects} the supervisory control relay. 24" to the. line conductors- A and B and disconnects. the: reset: relay. 2lltherefrom.

It will be seen from the above,description=andthe accompanyingdrawingsthat I hayeprovided a simple and efiective system wherein reset of the system maybe readily effectedindependently-oft the impedanceof the signalling: or metering -.ci-rcuit connected to thechannel. Instead-. of.:-re.- quiring the use ofseveral diiierentatypestotrme-v tering systems where different'quantitiesrare to:- be measured. which require transmitting devices having variable irnpedances all types got-metering devices may be-usediwith-qazsingleimeteringqsys tem according to myainvent-ion. Theramountwf. equipment is thereby: greatlyrreducedr andzsthee. metering system is substantially-simplified: This; results not only in lower installation: costrbutiinr reduced maintenance: expenses.

Since certainchanges may'be'm'ade inithe-abovedescribed construction and different embodiments of the invention may be made withoutzdeparting from the spirit and scope thereof, it is intended l that all the matter containedlin' the abov'eede scription and shown in the accompanying -drawe' ings shall be considered'asrillustrative and not channel, transmitting 'means at the remote station operable to energize thechannelwith'a -volt ageof one polarity variable'in aecordancawith' a condition to be indicated, receiving-means at the control station responsive to saidf'energiza tion of the channel, control means'at theremote station responsive to a flow ofcurrent th-rough the channel in excess of a'precletermined'value which is greater than that-producedby the-voltage at the remote station operabltoieif'ect"disconnection of thetransmitting means nom the channel, an asymmetric 'conductin-giineans con nected across the channel intermediate the'control means and the transmitting meansto provide a path of predeterminedimpedance for a voltage of reverse polarity from the control station; and means at the control stationcperaiol'eto effect energization of the channelwith avolt age of said reverse polarity and' of -suficient value to produce' a currentthrougl'rthe-controF means in'thesame-directionesthat producedhr thetransmitting means and of sufficient value to operate the control means.

2. In a system for indicating at a control station a condition at a remote station connected therewith by a signalling channel, means at the remote station responsive to the condition at said station to apply an indicating potential of a predetermined polarity to said channel, electroresponsive means at the control station responsive to said potential, electro-responsive means at the remote station responsive only to a current greater than produced by said potential of a, predetermined polarity for removing said potential from the channel, asymmetric conducting means connected at the remote station to provide a low impedance path through the electro-responsive means at the remote station for an operating current of the same polarity produced by a voltage of the opposite polarity at the control station, and a means at the control station operable to apply to the channel a potential of reverse polarity of suflicient value to effect operation of said electro-responsive means at the remote station.

3. In a system for indicating at a control station a condition at a remote station connected therewith by a signalling channel, transmitting means at the remote station operable to efiect energization of the channel with a potential of a predetermined polarity variable in accordance with the condition at the remote station which is to be indicated, receiving means at the control station responsive to said potential, electroresponsive means at the remote station operable to remove said potential from the channel, control means operable to effect operation of said electro-responsive means "connected in the channel, said control means being responsive only to a current in the channel of larger magnitude than the current produced by said potential of a predetermined polarity, rectifier means of the dry type connected across the channel between said control means and the transmitting means in such direction as to block the flow of current produced by said potential, and means at the control station operable to connect a control potential of reverse polarity and greater magnitude than said potential to the channel at the control station in series circuit relation with said potential.

4. A remote indicating system for use with a supervisory control system operating over a signalling channel between a remote station and a control station each provided with supervisory control receiving and transmitting equipment comprising, indication transmitting means at the remote station operable to produce an indicating potential having a characteristic which varies in accordance with a condition to be indicated, control means operable in response to operation of the receiving means at the remote station to connect the transmitting means to the channel to provide signal potential of a predetermined polarity at the remote station, indication receiving means at the control station connected to the channel under the control of the control station supervisory control receiving equipment and responsive to the characteristics of the signal potential, reset means connected in series circuit relation with the channel at the remote station responsive only to a current in the channel greater than that produced by the signal potential and operable to render the control means inoperative and disconnect the transmitting means from the channel, rectifier means of the dry type connected to the channel in shunt relation with the transmitting means to provide a low impedance path for a current from the control station flowing in the same direction as that of the current produced by the signal potential, and means at the control station operable to effect disconnection of the indicating receiving means from the channel and apply a reset potential thereto in series circuit relation with that of the signal potential and of a greater magnitude.

5. In an indicating system for use in transmitting indications of a plurality of different conditions over a supervisory control channel between a control station and a remote station, a plurality of transmitting devices at the remote station for producing indicating potentials having characteristics responsive to different conditions to be indicated, said transmitting devices having dilferent impedances, control means selectively operable under the control of the supervisory control means to connect difierent ones of the transmitting devices to the channel, indicating means at the control station operable under the control of the supervisory control means to indicate the difierent conditions in response to the characteristics of the indicating potential, means including a reset relay connected in series circuit relation with the channel and a rectifier device connected across the control channel intermediate the reset relay and the transmitting devices for providing a low impedance shunt path for a current produced by a control potential from the control station of reverse polarity, and means operable to effect disconnection of the indicating means from the channel and connection of the channel to a source of the opposite polarity at the control station.

6. In a remote metering system for use in conjunction with a supervisory control system to indicate at a control station any of a plurality of electric signal potentials at a remote station connected to the control station by a supervisory control channel, in combination, circuit means whereby any desired one of a plurality of devices producing potentials of one polarity may be selectively connected to the supervisory control channel by the supervisory control equipment, a reset relay connected in series circuit relation in the control channel operable to disconnect the selected potential from the channel only in response to an operating current in the channel greater than that produced by said signal potential, a rectifier device connected across the channel to provide a low impedance path through the reset relay independently of the signal potential for a control potential of reverse polarity from the control station for producing an operating current, and means at the remote station operable to apply a potential to the channel which is in series circuit relation with the potential at the remote station when it is desired to disconnect the selected potential from the channel.

'7. In a remote metering system, a metering channel, indicating means at one station on the channel responsive to a signal potential, transmitting means at another station on the channel including a variable impedance circuit connected to apply a signal potential of varying characteristics to the channel for operating the indicating means, a control relay having an operating winding connected in series circuit relation with the channel and operable only in response to a current in the channel greater than that produced by the transmitting means, a unidirectional current device connected across the channel between the control relay and the transmitting means to 10 provide a low in pedancepath for a current from UNITED STATES PATENTS the control station passing through the control relay in the same direction as the current from Number Name Date the transmitting means, and means at said other 1,691,369 Reagan 13, 1923 station for applying a control potential to the 5 2,154,379 Boswau July 1939 channel in such a, direction as to be serially re- 2,239,552 De Croce 1941 lated to the signal potential. 2,397,401 Baughman Mar. 26, 1946 WILLARD DERR- FOREIGN PATENTS REFERENCES CITED 10 Number Country Date 201,154 Great Britain Sept. 11, 1924 The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

